B.C. hospitals can put COVID-positive and negative patients in same rooms: top doctor
Patients who don’t have COVID-19 could end up in the same B.C. hospital rooms as patients who do have the virus.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed Friday that anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 while admitted to a hospital for other reasons is permitted to be treated in rooms with those who tested negative for the virus.
That would only happen “with additional (COVID-19) precautions in place, as we would for people admitted with other respiratory illnesses,” she said.
Sarah Adams’ husband has been hospitalized at Vancouver General Hospital for three months, slowly recovering from a serious illness not related to COVID-19.
“This shocks me,” she told CTV News. “Why would you put someone who you know has COVID into a room with someone who you know doesn’t?”
Health officials acknowledged it’s not an ideal scenario, but one hospitals across the province may need to consider. With the record number of COVID-related hospitalizations, some acute care facilities might not have enough space to continue keeping test-positive patients separated from others.
“That is an infection prevention and control team decision, made at a hospital-by-hospital, room-by-room basis, depending on the needs in that facility,” said Henry.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said it comes down to managing hospital space as best as possible.
“The challenge of having more people in hospital is the challenge of cohorting everybody becoming much more difficult,” he said. “That’s why we have on site infection control teams taking charge of the situation.”
Fraser Health did not provide CTV News with details on how hospitals in that health authority will approach the mixing of patients with and without COVID-19. Vancouver Coastal Health did not respond to a request for more information.
Adams fears the progress her husband has made during his months-long recovery could be upended if he catches COVID-19. While she trusts the health-care system in general, she thinks the province is making a mistake with this policy.
“I feel like I’m leaving my loved one to be in a room with someone who could get him potentially even sicker than he is now.”
If someone with COVID-19 is moved into a room with people who don’t have the virus, Adams says hospital staff should be required to share that information with the other patients and their families.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.